326 



THE RODENTS OR GNAWING ANIMALS. 



trace of their teeth. They soon get used to bread 

 and ship biscuit, apples and carrots, and ultimately 

 become very partial to fruit. 



The attitudes assumed by Beavers vary, but on the 

 whole not very much. While sitting, the animal 

 looks like a large, clumsy Mouse. When walking, 

 one leg is moved after another, for the abdomen, 

 which nearly touches the ground, does not admit of 

 rapid, uniform movement. When in a very great 

 hurry the Beaver executes leaps, which in point of 

 clumsiness and awkwardness exceed those of all 

 terrestrial mammals with which I am acquainted. 

 These jumps comprise an alternating throwing up of 

 the fore and hind quarters, but in spite of all this 

 they are well directed to accomplish their purpose. 

 In swimming, the Beaver dips its hind quarters 

 so deeply into the water that only the nostrils, 

 eyes, ears and middle of the back remain above the 

 water, the root of the tail being submerged. It pro- 

 ceeds by simultaneous, rarely by alternate, strokes 

 of the hind paws; the tail acts as rudder and often 

 moves in vigorous jerks, but the fore-paws take no 

 part in the swimming. The animal can stay sub- 

 merged for about two minutes, before the want of 

 breath compels it to rise to the surface. 



Voice and The voice of the Beaver is a weak 



Senses of the sound which might most appropri- 

 Beauers. ately be styled a moan. This sound 

 is made whenever the animal is excited. And an 

 observer soon learns to understand the different 

 meanings of the various sounds made by these ani- 

 mals. Of their senses, hearing and smell seem to 

 rank first; the small eyes look rather dull, yet the 

 sight is as keen as the taste; neither can some acute- 

 ness of sensibility be denied in the animal. As to 

 the degree of reasoning power of a Beaver there 

 may reasonably be different opinions; it must be 

 acknowledged, however, that it ranks high among 

 Rodents. It submits more easily to altered circum- 

 stances than other Rodents and learns how best to 

 profit by them; and more than any of the other 

 Gnawing Animals it reflects before acting, deliber- 

 ates and draws conclusions. Its constructions are 

 not more ingenious than those of other Rodents, 

 but they are always built in conformity with the 

 locality, and any damages to them are always 

 repaired with a careful consideration of the sur- 

 roundings. 

 How the Beaver The behavior of captive Beavers is 

 Acts in Cap- sullen towards other animals and at 

 tivity. least reserved towards human beings. 



Those which are well treated finally allow them- 

 selves to be caressed, and they may go up to their 

 keeper and offer a formal greeting, but they resist 

 any violence. Beavers living in zoological gardens 

 soon find out that women and children are gifted 

 with gentle hearts, and therefore they not only ap- 

 pear earlier than is their custom in front of their 

 house, but also, standing up before passing women 

 and children, beg for apples, nuts, sugar and bread. 

 They dexterously take such gifts with their hands 

 and begin to eat; but people who make pretense to 

 give and do not do so, or who tease them, they strike 

 on the fingers. 



Beavers caught young may become very tame. 

 Those authors who deal with the American species 

 tell of Beavers which they found in Indian villages, 

 installed, so to speak, as domestic animals, or which 

 they kept themselves. La Hontan says: "I saw 

 nothing more remarkable in these villages than 

 Beavers, as tame as Dogs, in the river as well as 



running about unmolested in the hedges." Hearne 

 had tamed several Beavers to such an extent that 

 they responded to his call, ran after him like Dogs 

 and received his caresses with joy. They seemed 

 to feel quite comfortable in the society of the Indian 

 women and children; they grew restless in their 

 absence and showed much pleasure on their return. 



A litter of Beavers consists of from two to three 

 fur clad, but blind, young, which are born in a dry 

 "lodge." Eight days later they open their eyes and 

 then, or sometimes not until the tenth day, the 

 mother takes her offspring along with her into the 

 water. 

 Breeding Beavers Except Prince Schwarzenberg, who 



as an Occupa- exhibited a couple of Beavers at the 

 tion. World's Exposition at Vienna, no- 



body is nowadays engaged in the breeding of Bea- 

 vers though it is both an attractive and remunerative 

 occupation; neither is it attended by any special 

 difficulties. A couple of Beavers which had settled 

 in Rothenhof in 1773 had increased to fourteen six 

 years later and to twenty-five after a lapse of ten 

 years; then the breeding was restricted, as the Bea- 

 vers were allowed free range and they caused too 

 great devastations. In Nymphenburg, in Bavaria, 

 where Beavers were also kept, it was found that some 

 of these animals endured captivity for fifty years. 



Methods of The Beaver in the free state has few 

 Catching and Kill- enemies other than Man. Its wan- 

 ing Beavers. ness frequently baffles even a skill- 

 ful sportsman. After it has once been alarmed the 

 slightest danger will drive the Beaver into the water, 

 which protects it with tolerable safety. The North 

 American trappers assert that in regions where it is 

 plentiful, it puts out sentinels which are said to 

 apprise their companions of an approaching danger 

 by loudly slapping the surface of the water with their 

 tail. This account may be taken to mean that in 

 a community of cautious animals, like the Beavers, a 

 number is more likely to notice a foe than a single 

 one, and every member of the community becomes 

 a sentinel in this way. As the clapping noise is pro- 

 duced only when a Beaver suddenly dives into the 

 water, and the latter, as a rule, happens when the 

 animal believes itself menaced, of course the otners 

 notice the loud noise and disappear from the sur- 

 face whenever they hear it. In America, the Beaver 

 is hunted with guns, but is also caught in traps of 

 various kinds. In winter holes are cut in the ice 

 and the Beavers which come to them to breathe are 

 killed; or sometimes the ice is removed from part of 

 the river, a strong net is spread over it, the "lodges" 

 are broken into and the frightened animals are 

 driven into the net. 



Usefulness and The usefulness of a Beaver nearly 

 Value of the compensates for the damage it works. 

 Beaver. One must keep in mind that it prin- 



cipally inhabits deserted localities and preferably 

 fells young shoots of trees, which soon grow again. 

 On the other hand the skin and flesh', and still more 

 the castoreum, very amply repay not only the 

 destruction wrought, but also all pains and trouble 

 taken in hunting it. About 150,000 pelts, valued at 

 nearly three-quarters of a million dollars, are taken 

 annually. According to its grade a pelt commands 

 a price of from four to thirteen dollars. 



The American Indian tribes hold the Beaver in 

 high esteem. They believe it to be nearly as intel- 

 ligent as a human being and they affirm that this 

 excellent animal is undoubtedly possessed of an im- 

 mortal soul. 



